Carriers Eye Equipment Surcharge

(International Freighting Weekly – Mike King)

Box shortage sparks move towards repositioning fee

With a shortage of available containers in Asia, at least two leading carriers are understood by IFW to be attempting to introduce equipment repositioning surcharges. Shippers are already facing substantial peak season surcharges as capacity tightens on both the Asia-Europe and transpacific trades.

Joerg Twachtmann, Panalpina’s Global Head of Product & Procurement Ocean FCL, said: “There are shortages everywhere, especially in northern China, of 20ft boxes. With slow-steaming, there are more containers on the water on both main trades. “Carriers also stopped investing in boxes in 2009, and all this will continue to impact the flow of cargo. It also helps the carriers control supply.” He said capacity on Asia-Europe lanes was not as tight as on the “chock-a-block” transpacific, but both trades were suffering equipment bottlenecks. Read more here.